Back in 2013, the Coast Harvesting Advisory Group (CHAG) identified phase congestion as a priority at the request of coastal contractors who had become concerned about practices that could negatively impact worker safety when logging phases were not properly managed and became too close together or “stacked” for a variety of reasons including production pressures, poor planning, permit or other unexpected delays. 
Here again in 2025, phase congestion has become a heightened concern as forestry operations are scrambling to produce in the face of uncertainty which could lead to dangerous situations for workers. History has proven that during uncertain times, productivity becomes the main driver, not for all contractors, but for some, and safety can be put on the backburner which puts everyone at risk, even those who put safety first.
Region Archives: Canada West
Special Feature
Business & Politics
Wood, Paper & Green Building
Forestry
Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Health & Safety
Forest Fires
In crisis, is there opportunity for BC softwood lumber?
Canada has challenged both duties in our free trade arrangements with the US and at the WTO — often successfully but to no avail. …Clearly, putting an end to 40 years of a softwood lumber trade war should be a top priority for Canada in its list of fixes it seeks in any CUSMA renegotiation. …Nevertheless, a looming trade crisis may present some interesting opportunities in the confluence of at least three policy priorities of the new federal and BC governments. …In the recent election, Carney promised to double the number of homes built in Canada annually to 500,000, entrusting the implementation of this plan to a new Build Canada Homes (BCH) agency that will act as a developer overseeing the construction of affordable housing. …Hence, BC lumber displaced from the US market can be redirected at home to drive down the cost of a significantly increased inventory of new homes throughout Canada.
Robert Phillips
Leaders from local governments and First Nations held a joint press conference Thursday to voice their collective opposition to the B.C. government’s Bill 15, which aims to expedite infrastructure products. …“If passed into law, Bill 15 would give greater powers to cabinet to expedite the approval of projects it deems to be ‘provincially significant.’ First Nations and local governments have expressed concern with the lack of consultation prior to the legislation being drafted,” the two entities stated in a joint statement issued via the UBCM. …The FNLC said the bill may override the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, while local governments said they are concerned about local planning being disrupted. …Premier David Eby said the legislation would benefit both Indigenous communities and municipalities. …Robert Phillips, political executive member of the First Nations Summit, called the bill an “unfortunate and avoidable” process.
Vancouver’s new urban forest strategy faces challenges, academic says
Vancouver councillors have approved an updated plan for growing the city’s urban forest, but a forestry professor says there are challenges ahead. The city’s goal is to increase its canopy cover – how much of the city is covered by leaves and branches when seen from above – from about 25 per cent of the city to 30 per cent by 2050, according to the updated urban forest strategy. …Stephen Sheppard, a professor emeritus at the University of B.C.’s forestry faculty, said Vancouver’s 30 per cent canopy cover target is very achievable – but he noted there is cause for concern. In the wake of the B.C. government pushing hard for cities to increase housing density, Sheppard advised councillors to minimize the loss of existing urban trees when approving rezoning proposals. …Multiple councillors pointed out the stark divide in canopy cover between neighbourhoods.
Kari Stuart-Smith
Kari Stuart-Smith, a wildlife ecologist and Manager of Biodiversity & Wildlife at Canfor, has dedicated over 30 years to advancing sustainable forest management in the East Kootenay. …One of her notable initiatives is the development of a new Old Growth Management Plan for Canfor’s Tree Farm License (TFL) 14 southwest of Golden. This project involved a collaborative group from Canfor, the Province of BC, First Nations, and Wildsight, with technical guidance from Forsite. Using LiDAR data to assess forest stand structure, the team identified high-quality old growth areas, leading to a plan with higher ecological values than previous models. …Stuart-Smith also played a key role in identifying and developing management strategies for High Conservation Value Areas (HCVAs) in the East Kootenay, a requirement for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification.
Plant partnership: fungi help spruce trees fight off budworm attacks
Nadir Erbilgin
University of Alberta research is showing how trees and fungi team up to survive and stay healthy against insect attacks — an alliance that could lead to more resilient forests. Endophytes — tiny micro-organisms made up of bacteria and fungi living harmlessly in the tissues of white spruce — help the tree defend itself by producing toxic compounds that repel or kill eastern spruce budworm, the new study showed. The discovery provides a “clear, detailed explanation” of how the fungi help protect the tree against the defoliating insect, says forest entomologist Nadir Erbilgin, a professor in the Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences who supervised the study. …Knowing specific endophytes can boost tree defences or repel budworms also offers possibilities for selecting, breeding or inoculating trees with beneficial fungal partners, he notes.
BC Wildfire Service working on new wildfire started near Arrastra Creek west of Princeton
BC Wildfire Service are handling a new wildfire discovered on Saturday afternoon west of Princeton. Fire Information Officer Shae Stearns said they have one initial attack crew and a response officer on site, along with one helicopter assisting with water tanking. The fire is near Arrastra Creek and behind Black Mine Road. The fire is estimated at just over one hectare in size and is classified at out of control. The fire is believed to be human-caused, but further details on how the fire started are not known. …As of Friday, May 16, category 3 open fires were ordered prohibited across the Kamloops Fire Centre.
Rumours spread like wildfire — and rumours about wildfire are no exception. In Canada’s westernmost province, the BC Wildfire Service is taking to its social media channels to tackle misinformation with an unlikely tool: kindness. Take the term “human caused.” Wildfire agencies use it to describe all wildfires that aren’t started by lightning, but many people have incorrectly conflated that with arson and the idea has taken hold. …This year, you’ll see the government account responding to those comments with a playful, gentle tone and a wealth of facts. Jean Strong, a digital communications officer with the government agency, says her team is trying a new tack this year, after successfully experimenting with the approach during the 2024 wildfire season. …The end goal is to increase public understanding about both the basics and complexities of wildfire science and response, she says.
Join us in the studio as we continue our exploration of British Columbia’s forestry industry with Linda Coady, former CEO of the BC Council of Forest Industries. Coady has held several influential roles, including Chief Sustainability Officer at Enbridge Inc., Vice-President of Sustainability for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games, and Vice-President for the Pacific Region at WWF-Canada. In this episode, we delve into the impacts of the War in the Woods and the evolution of conservation and reconciliation in coastal B.C. and across Canada. Drawing on her extensive experience in the forestry sector, Coady offers insights into the complex history that laid the groundwork for joint solutions between industry, the provincial government, and Indigenous communities. We explore lessons learned from past conservation and reconciliation efforts, and how these lessons can guide us through today’s political and economic uncertainties.
Phase Congestion PreventionBack in 2013, the Coast Harvesting Advisory Group (CHAG) identified phase congestion as a priority at the request of coastal contractors who had become concerned about practices that could negatively impact worker safety when logging phases were not properly managed and became too close together or “stacked” for a variety of reasons including production pressures, poor planning, permit or other unexpected delays.
Here again in 2025, phase congestion has become a heightened concern as forestry operations are scrambling to produce in the face of uncertainty which could lead to dangerous situations for workers. History has proven that during uncertain times, productivity becomes the main driver, not for all contractors, but for some, and safety can be put on the backburner which puts everyone at risk, even those who put safety first.
And when the conflicting demands of contractors working in different phases are integrated together and operating simultaneously in a worksite and are not focussed on safety, it compromises everyone including the work being performed. And if an incident occurs because one contractor was pushing the limits to “get the job done”, all operations will come to a griding halt for every contractor working in the area which means no one keeps working and everyone is affected because of the wrong mindset.
That is why it is imperative to ensure that “phase integration” – meaning different phases are organized to operate simultaneously in a worksite as a single “integrated” phase – is seamlessly built into the site plan to ensure worker safety is maintained and desired operational efficiencies are actually achieved.
To help you properly plan, manage and supervise a worksite, BCFSC has some valuable resources and training to help eliminate phase congestion and keep your operation running smoothly while working with other on-site contractors and ensure all those working on site remain safe.
Visit the Phase Congestion Prevention web page and find essential tools, training and information that will help explain and what Phase Congestion is and how to avoid it.
Top Recommendations from BC Forest Safety Council Safety Advisors
BC Forest Safety Council Safety Advisors help forestry employers and employees achieve their safety goals. By visiting worksites, they provide invaluable insights and practical guidance for implementing effective safety procedures and maintaining safe work practices to ensure workplaces meeting SAFE Certification audit requirements but also fostering a culture of safety by minimizing risks and enhancing the well-being of everyone on site.
Here are some of the top recommendations from recent site visits to help keep your workplace safe and efficient.
Complete Your Emergency Response Drill: Ensure you are performing regular Emergency Response Drills. As of November 1, 2024, a First Aid Drill is mandatory. • Conduct Proper Incident Investigations: Always end investigations with Fundamental Recommendations to prevent future occurrences. These should include procedural changes. If procedures aren’t altered, the results won’t change.- Check Your Emergency Escape Hatches: In an emergency, if the door is blocked, you don’t want to find that an escape hatch is rusted shut. Regularly inspect these hatches.
- Document First Aid Assessments Correctly: Every worksite must have a documented First Aid Assessment. This requirement changes on November 1, 2024, so ensure you have the latest form and instructions.
- Regular Worker Assessments: Assess all workers and supervisors for competency regularly, based on risk. These assessments should be performed by someone competent in this task.
- Conduct Site Inspections: Complete inspections for any site you work at for 30 days or more, including shops and offices. If there are significant changes, redo the inspection.
- Include Lockout in Safe Work Procedures: Lockout procedures must be included in equipment or truck Safe Work Procedures. Gravity should always be considered as a factor.
BC Forest Safety advisors are available to come to your SAFE Certified worksite and assist you in your safe work procedures. Give them a call at 1.877.741.1060 or reach out by email safeco@bcforestsafe.org to arrange your site visit today.
When a tree falls in a B.C. forest does anyone hear?
Gerry Warner
It’s wildfire season again, a season I’ve always dreaded but now dread even more because thanks to climate change it starts so much earlier than when I was fighting fires in the past. …Incredibly enough, when dangerous wildfires break out today often the first thing our “trained” fire crews do is light a fire. I know this sounds counter-intuitive but it happens all the time. The fires lit are called backfires or controlled burns and they are set to remove “fuel” (trees and brush) between the backfires and the main fire burning out of control which causes it to go out when it hits the burnt over area and runs out of “fuel” to burn. Or so the theory goes. …It was good while it lasted, but in less than a decade, our old growth will be finished and there’ll be nothing left to burn but second growth which burns quickly and easily.
West Fraser Releases 2024 Sustainability Report
VANCOUVER, BC – West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. released its 2024 Sustainability Report, Building Together: People and Partnerships. The report highlights the Company’s sustainability performance across a variety of environmental, social, and governance goals and disclosed targets. “Since our founding 70 years ago, West Fraser has recognized our responsibility to the environment and society while delivering solid financial performance,” said Sean McLaren, President and CEO, West Fraser. “This report provides some detail about our activities in 2024 and measures the progress we have made toward achieving our goals.” 2024 key achievements highlighted in the report include: Broadening Safety Training and Data Insights; Advancing Our Carbon Reduction Strategy; Driving Sustainable Forest Management & Wood Procurement Traceability; Partnering with Indigenous Nations; and Investing in Communities.
Percy Guichon
Tsideldel First Nation councillor Percy Guichon has been recognized for his dedication to forestry in the Cariboo Chilcotin region. The BC First Nations Forestry Council announced Guichon, also the CEO of Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation, received the Innovation Award, one of the BCFNFC’s Forestry Awards of Excellence. “This prestigious award recognizes Percy’s outstanding leadership in advancing Indigenous-led forest stewardship and creating a collaborative, culturally grounded land management model in British Columbia,” noted a Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation news release. “Many people from our Nations have carried the responsibility of caring for our lands and resources since time immemorial,” said Lennard Joe, Chief Executive Officer of the BC First Nations Forestry Council …Guichon said he is honoured to receive this award on behalf of the team at Central Chilcotin Rehabilitation Ltd., and the Nations that comprise this joint venture.
The next hold on climb to Cube 2.0’s new centre achieved in grant fund disbursement
The vision for the city’s sustainable climbing centre has received a sizable boost. Cube 2.0: Sustainable Climbing Centre and mass timber social enterprise project was awarded nearly $400,000 ($399,804) for engineering and design activities for “The Cube 2.0,” led by the Kootenay Climbing Association. Through the Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program grant funding, the Cube 2.0 will be an innovative climbing centre that stimulates growth in the mass timber manufacturing sectors by utilizing mass timber and showcasing local timber processing industries. Construction is tentatively set for fall 2026 as a mass timber build, using local resources to cut down on the carbon footprint.
VANCOUVER – The world’s leading forum on sustainable wood construction is returning to Canada this fall. Woodrise 2025 will welcome industry and government leaders from more than 25 countries to Vancouver from September 22 to 25, 2025. The fifth edition of the biennial international Woodrise congress will explore how sustainable mid- and high-rise wood construction can help address the world’s most pressing challenges—from climate adaptation and wildfire resilience to housing affordability and sustainable community growth. This year’s theme, Building Smarter with Wood: Sustainable Solutions to Resilient Communities and Housing, reflects a shared urgency to build better, faster and more responsibly. Organized by FPInnovations, in collaboration with the Province of British Columbia, France’s Institut Technologique Forêt Cellulose Bois-construction Ameublement and Japan’s International Association for the Industry of Urban Development, Woodrise 2025 brings together leading architects, engineers, developers, researchers and policymakers.
Based on last year’s success, the BC Forest Safety Council (BCFSC) is once again partnering with Tree Frog Forestry News to host Forest Safety Awareness Week, May 26 – 30. Each day will feature a series of articles highlighting safety in forestry with a focus on the importance of forest safety practices across the province and across Canada brought to you by Tree Frog News, BCFSC, and Tree Frog News sponsors.
These articles will provide practical information, news, and trends relevant to forest worker safety. Please join us in sharing this important material with your colleagues and within your communities and help us reach our collective goal of ensuring every forestry worker goes home safe, every day.
Thanks to the collective efforts of the forest sector, we have proven that when we work together, we can reach new milestones in improved safety culture and performance.
On behalf of BCFSC, we would like to thank you for your individual and collective efforts to ensure that every worker goes home safe, everyday.
BC leading Canada on methane reduction, says analysis
BC’s goal to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector is two years ahead of schedule, a new analysis has found. Released by the Pembina Institute Thursday, the report found the province was the only one in Canada to meet its 2025 oil and gas methane emissions reduction target. Between 2014 and 2023, natural gas production in B.C. grew 67%. But over that same period, methane emissions associated with the industry fell 51% — surpassing the 45% reduction goal the province set for itself for 2025. The progress is a positive sign for the industry at a time the carbon intensity of imports is becoming increasingly important to trading partners like the European Union, United Kingdom, South Korea and Japan, said Amanda Bryant, with the Pembina Institute. …“BC has shown that you can succeed in regulating methane gas emissions in a way that benefits instead of harms industry.”
Southern Alberta — This season, Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation of Canada and Waterton Biosphere Region are recruiting ranchers willing to help limber pine by testing the effectiveness of identified beneficial management practices for grazing in limber pine habitats. Funding support is available to address potential costs of implementing such practices. Endangered limber pines face threats from white pine blister rust (an introduced fungal disease), mountain pine beetle, changing fire regimes, climate change and human development. Populations are now declining much faster than they are regenerating. Conserving this slow-growing species requires ongoing planting efforts over the long term to ensure rust-resistant seedlings and trees are distributed across their range.
An early start to the fire season on private forest lands underscores the need for careful planning, investment in protection, and collaboration with communities. An early May fire that began on private lands managed by Mosaic serves as a reminder that wildfire season is here. An unattended campfire is believed to be the cause of the three-hectare wildfire that started near Campbell River. Fortunately, a collaborative effort between local fire departments, BC Wildfire Service, and Mosaic prevented the fire from spreading to nearby homes and businesses. The early season wildfire highlights the importance of being responsive and ready. In a recent Mosaic survey, wildfire risk from human activity was a leading concern for those recreating on private managed forest land. “As a responsible landowner and neighbour, Mosaic is committed to fortifying all lines of defence to help ensure the safety of our communities, landscapes, and resources,” said Steve Mjaaland, Mosaic’s Manager of Forest Protection.
Additional coverage in the Comox Valley Record by Brendan Jure: Mosaic Forest Management releases 2025 Wildfire Prevention Strategy
B.C. mayors raise concerns over what could be very active wildfire season
With drought and tinder dry conditions hitting many parts of the province, a number of municipal mayors are raising concerns about yet another potentially record-breaking wildfire season in B.C. Clearwater Mayor Merlin Blackwell, who has seen flames dance around his community for years, says current temperatures are well above normal. “We are in drought conditions up here. We are expecting an above normal, higher risk wildfire season for sure,” he said. …Mayor Barbara Roden has lived in Ashcroft for 28 years. She says, given the fire seasons in the last several years, fear now hangs over residents. …she says the increasingly extreme heat facing this province year after year is also becoming an equally serious concern. A sentiment understood and echoed by Lytton Mayor Denise O’Connor. She moved back to her family home not that long ago after the village was leveled by a massive wildfire during the 2021 heat dome.
Ravi Parmar
…Wildland firefighters put it all on the line during the wildfire season, but they can’t do it alone. The majority of wildfires right now are caused by human activity… Whether you live in Fort Nelson, Sicamous, Kelowna, Maple Ridge or Langford, we all have a role to play. One of the most impactful ways to build wildfire resilient communities is by participating in FireSmart activities like clearing the debris from your yard, trimming trees and shrubs, storing firewood away from buildings, and making sure your property is accessible to emergency crews. But don’t stop there. When you’re using fire on your property, make sure you’re doing it safely. Put out your campfire when you leave your site and follow all open fire prohibitions. These simple actions save lives. …Let’s protect what matters. Let’s honour the work of our wildland firefighters by doing our part. British Columbia, it’s time for us to step up. We’re in this together.
Lyackson First Nation, Cowichan Tribes, B.C. complete land transfer
Culturally significant land in the Cowichan Valley has been returned to Lyackson First Nation and Cowichan Tribes communities, a reconciliation landmark between the Nations and B.C. The lands that are now in possession of the Nations are near an existing Cowichan Tribes Indian Reserve known as Skutz Falls IR8 and adds to an area that has historically been used by the Nations for gathering, harvesting and other activities of cultural importance for their communities. “The acquisition of this parcel of land could not have been made possible without the commitment of British Columbia, our kinship ties with Cowichan Tribes and willing seller Mosaic,” said Hereditary Chief Laxele’wuts’aat Chief Shana Thomas of Lyackson First Nation.
Additional coverage in Victoria Buzz by Curtis Blandy: BC returns land back to Lyackson First Nation and Cowichan Tribes on Vancouver Island
No going back: The fight to save Saskatchewan’s forests
It doesn’t look like much from the grid road. Just an approach with deep tire ruts chewed into the summer Saskatchewan mud, tall jack pine and spruce trees clustered at its opening like a gateway. But if you walk past that first line of trees and down the narrow working trail, it fans out into a pocket of open space. Scattered there are stumps, piles of dirt and roughage, logs that are too small or too large stacked to the side — the aftermath of a logging sweep, both bare and messy. That pocket opens further into a clearing, a few hundred acres in size, that was logged the spring before. Grass now pokes through the churned-up dirt; grasshoppers chirp in the still July heat. Across the clearing, even if you can’t see it through the trees that dot the far side, is the northern town of Big River, Sask. It’s just a few hundred metres away.
When outdoor enthusiasts Jeff Woodgate, Shaun Peter and Joey Reinhardt learned of West Fraser Timber Cochrane’s plans to harvest parts of their beloved forests near Moose Mountain and West Bragg Creek, they didn’t sit back. Fueled by a deep connection to the land and a sense of urgency, the trio founded Guardians of Recreational Outdoor Wilderness (GROW) and launched a petition to cancel the logging plans. Their message struck a chord. Today, more than 20,000 people have signed in support of preserving these cherished landscapes… After listening to public concerns, West Fraser reduced the scope of its plan by 37 per cent, now targeting 556 hectares — 268 in West Bragg Creek and 288 in Moose Mountain. According to West Fraser, the revised plan will now affect only five of 26 trails, with just 2.1 km directly impacted. Another 18.3 km of trail — about 17 per cent of the network — falls within 50 metres of harvest areas.
Improvements are coming to the Ancient Forest, one hour east of Prince George. The Enhancement Project is funded through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program – Community, Culture, and Recreation Program, with a total project cost of approximately $8.7 million. The Ancient Forest Provincial Park, known as Chun T’oh Whudujut in the Dakelh language, is one of the world’s few inland temperate rainforests, and was saved from logging in 2005… The project was originally funded in late 2019, and was expected to be finished by March of this year. However, it faced significant delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which disrupted planning and operations. This was followed by the tragic loss of both the Project Coordinator and Project Manager due to cancer, resulting in a loss of leadership and continuity.
The new Cowichan District Hospital will be British Columbia’s first fossil fuel-free hospital, Island Health announced on Earth Day, April 22. The new hospital is under construction on Bell McKinnon Road near Duncan on Vancouver Island and is scheduled to open in 2027. It is also Canada’s first hospital to achieve Zero Carbon Building – Design certification from the Canada Green Building Council. “We’re building hospitals that will care for people in our communities for generations,” said Bowinn Ma, B.C.’s minister of Infrastructure. “This certification shows that through innovative design, we can create hospitals that support the well-being of families and a sustainable future.”.. The hospital’s leading-edge sustainability measures will free up resources for patient care while supporting patient and staff well-being and delivering environmental benefits.
Frank Lam
The global market for mass timber is growing… An emerging opportunity for made-in Canada engineered wood products may be glulam beams and glue laminated timber panels composed of western hemlock and amabilis fir, known as hem-fir. “However, the obstacle to the use of glulam made from BC/Canadian hem-fir comes from both the lack of technical evidence on the strength properties of hem-fir glulam and limitations stemming from current CSA Group standards,” states UBC Forestry Prof. Frank Lam, Chair of Wood Building Design and Construction, who is conducting research. …Western Forest Products is collaborating to test novel applications for hem-fir, particularly in key growth product categories, such as glulam. …“The tree species mix and age profiles are changing in BC and will result in a larger proportion of available stands of western hemlock,” states Mark Dubois-Phillips, Director of Marketing and Product Management with Western.
Alberta’s caribou conundrum
Is the Alberta government hell-bent on eliminating what remains of the two caribou herds that live in the mountains just north of Jasper National Park? Looking at the province’s recently released draft management plan for the Upper Smoky area, one might think that is the case. Let’s set this up: the motivation behind the sub-regional plan in the first place was to convince the federal government that the province was doing a good job of caribou conservation. Spoiler alert: they haven’t! Meanwhile, I can’t help but think of the irony that… the company which stands to benefit the most is a US-based forestry corporation, Weyerhaeuser. …For decades now, provincial governments have been promising to conserve and rehabilitate caribou habitat. And for decades, those governments have not made good on those promises. As discussed in previous Jasper Local articles, for caribou to have a chance, they need some space.
Local governments, First Nations and not-for-profit organizations throughout British Columbia are receiving funding to promote economic diversification, clean-economy opportunities and infrastructure development. “We’re partnering with rural community leaders to invest in the future of their local economies,” said Diana Gibson, Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation. “By helping fund impactful projects throughout the province, we’re supporting people and helping their communities to flourish.” The Government of B.C is investing as much as $43 million from the third intake of the Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program (REDIP) toward more than 130 projects that will strengthen local economies, create an estimated 2,200 jobs and make a positive impact for people and communities across rural areas of the province.
Wildsight is applauding BC Timber Sales for its commitment to pause new development in forests that are critical to the ongoing survival of endangered deep-snow caribou in the Revelstoke-Shuswap region. The decision, which was communicated to Wildsight via email, will help safeguard the future of the Columbia North caribou herd, one of the last remaining southernmost herds in British Columbia. “BC Timber Sales controls important caribou habitat within their tenures in the Revelstoke-Shuswap region,” said Wildsight Conservation Specialist Eddie Petryshen. “This is a significant move and it sets a precedent for other licensees to stop logging core habitat in this region.” Logging poses one of the biggest threats to the future of the Columbia North herd, which has only a third of its core habitat protected despite the draft federal recovery strategy determining that 100% should be protected.
In this edition of the WorkSafeBC Health and Safety News you’ll find:
- Learn how promoting psychological health and safety can help you experience stronger employee engagement, greater productivity, and decreased conflict and turnover.
- Making a WorkSafeBC Claim – If you’re injured on the job, this resource explains what you need to do to file a claim.
- Online services – Whether you’re an employer, a worker, or a health care or service provider, you can use our online services to access your account information.
- Prevent falls from heights – With outdoor construction ramping up, we’re reminding employers that falls from heights continue to be a leading cause of workplace injuries and fatalities.
- Safety information session for drivers of commercial vehicles — June 11 – Burnaby RCMP, in partnership with WorkSafeBC, is hosting a safety information session in Delta on June 11.
BC Timber Sales pauses logging in threatened caribou habitat
The B.C. government-run corporation responsible for administering a fifth of the province’s annual logging quota says it will pause new operations that overlap with habitat of a threatened caribou herd north of Revelstoke. The pause is expected to last until planning has restarted or government gives BCTS direction, a BCTS planning forester wrote. “We are not operating within caribou core areas,” the email reads. …A statement from the Ministry of Forests said the logging pause was part of a collaboration with First Nations, industry, as well as local and federal governments. …Eddie Petryshen, a conservation specialist with Wildsight, said about 112,000 hectares of BCTS tenure overlap in some way with critical habitat of the Columbia North caribou herd. …Logging has combined with oil and gas exploration to carve up forests across B.C., opening up paths for predators to hunt mountain caribou.
Cliff White
The agony of last summer’s Jasper wildfire casts a long shadow across the Bow Valley. The blaze left a smouldering $1.23 billion in devastating costs to the Jasper area, while also leaving experts predicting — and residents worrying — that other pristine mountain communities such as Banff and Canmore could be next. …“It’s just so primed to burn, you can’t stop it — I don’t think Banff has time,” Cliff White, a former Parks Canada forestry scientist said last summer. …With the lack of follow-up on tending to prescribed burn areas and other breaks “we are doing about one-fifth of what needs to be done just for maintenance, and given the backlog of biomass accumulated, we are at about one-tenth of what should be done for the next two to three decades,” said the Cliff White.
Spruce budworm: Pest’s persistent presence concerns Sundre-area horticulturalist
SUNDRE – While the persistent, multi-year presence of a destructive pest known as spruce budworm has been noted by Alberta Forestry and Parks, an entomologist for the provincial government said the localized impact is not yet considered an epidemic. “We mapped some minor infestations that are on private land south of the Sundre area,” said Forest Health Specialist Caroline Whitehouse. …“From what we’re seeing from our aerial overview surveys – that’s the primary way that we are doing monitoring for spruce budworm – we’re not seeing what we would call an epidemic at this point,” she said. …Asked whether there are any regions in the province where there might be an epidemic unfolding, she said the department’s data from 2024 does not indicate as much. …Steve Bouchet, owner of Everblue Nursery said he is less worried about his own tree farm. …“But it’s also a forest fire risk.
They’re common subjects of news stories and interaction with humans and urban areas. But how common is the black bear in B.C.? Wildlife advocates say the answer is far from clear, and better data is required to help and understand the species, many of whom are destroyed as a result of becoming habituated to human food. “I want some more pressure on the government to address this big knowledge gap that we just don’t know how many we have,” said registered professional biologist Helen Davis with Artemis Wildlife Consultants. “We don’t know if we’re hunting too many, if we’re killing too many through conflict.” …Biologists like Davis, who, along with First Nations, want bear dens in old-growth forests protected with provincewide legislation, say there could be a misconception that a key species with ecological and cultural value is plentiful when the data to support that is outdated or even dubious.
With fire season arriving earlier and burning longer each year, Whistler is pushing forward with a suite of new wildfire risk mitigation measures—ranging from forest fuel-thinning and emergency planning to updated bylaws and collaborative research. At the heart of the work is a recognition wildfires are no longer rare events, but a growing threat made worse by climate change. “We are acutely aware that the wildfire risk is rising in Whistler and it’s the single biggest climate change related risk and vulnerability for all of us here,” said the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s (RMOW) manager of climate and environment Luisa Burhenne at the May 13 council meeting. The RMOW has treated more than 100 hectares of high-risk forest, representing about one-third of its 2030 target.
While the persistent, multi-year presence of a destructive pest known as spruce budworm has been noted by Alberta Forestry and Parks, an entomologist for the provincial government said the localized impact is not yet considered an epidemic. “We mapped some minor infestations that are on private land south of the Sundre area,” said Forest Health Specialist Caroline Whitehouse. “That kind of extends along that narrow band of spruce between the public forest and private land all the way west of Diamond Valley,” Whitehouse said. “And then it does peak into the Kananaskis forest area a little bit, but it’s really quite minor in that region”… Steve Bouchet, owner of Everblue Nursery who first established a plantation near Sundre in 1996, said he is less worried about his own tree farm where he can deploy mitigation strategies to attack the aggressive pest but harbours concern about damage trees in the greater area could suffer.
The Regional District of Central Kootenay has tentatively voted in favour of a planned expansion for wood products manufacturer Spearhead on the North Shore, but held off on a final decision until a pair of conditions are met. …After several months of information-gathering and three public hearings, the RDCK board decided at its May 15 meeting that it needs two further pieces of information in order to finally decide on the zoning….First, the RDCK requires approval of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure regarding the details of highway access to the proposed facility. Second, the board has asked that a covenant be prepared and placed on the title of the property that would require Spearhead to comply with the recommendations of a professional environmental consultant before a building permit is issued.
Kim Haakstad
The B.C. Council of Forest Industries (COFI) says it isn’t sure why the province has created a new forestry council with a “vague scope and mandate” when there are already multiple working groups focused on the troubled resource sector. On Thursday, the province announced the formation of the Provincial Forest Advisory Council, which it says is expected to “provide recommendations to support forest ecosystems at the same time as helping the forestry sector.” …However, COFI says the province already has multiple working groups, reports, reviews and initiatives that have yet to be fully implemented. “We are not totally sure what the overall objective and need for it [the new council] is, COFI president Kim Haakstad said in an interview with CBC News. …Green Party House leader Rob Botterell says forestry has always been a key part of the provincial economy, but its future depends on sustainable and long-term ecological stewardship.
Additional coverage in CFJC Today Kamloops, by Michael Reeve: MLA Stamer looking for more diversity on provincial forest advisory council
Seedling Demand Forecasts Show 300-milion/year A Long Way Off—If Ever
The BC reforestation sector is not likely to return to the annual seedling demand levels we saw at the beginning of this decade according to recent forecasts produced by the Forest Genetics Council. In 2020 the sector peaked above 300-million seedlings planted. Lately, tree nurseries and planting contractors have seen demand drop by 20% due primarily to the shrinking harvest. It is likely to stay in that range for the foreseeable future based on the Council’s analyses of projected harvests, public reforestation investments, and the effects of climate change on species suitability. …According to information from provincial seedling storage operators, about a third of their tree cartons have been delivered to the field since Interior planting began in April. …Following the launch last March of an online Job board at The Cache, the industry website has continued to grow with a new “Ask an Expert” section to answer questions posed by workers.